North, Central and Red Light District
North. The north is located on the other side of the IJ, and can be reached by a free ferry crossing (24 hours a day for the main ferry). This is the neighborhood of EYE, the Dutch film library, a superb spaceship with restaurant and bar. This decade, the area has grown in stature, with numerous restaurants, cafés and galleries opening and making a name for themselves. A few years ago, the Amsterdam Toren opened and further energized the area with hotels, restaurants and a nightclub. The "Noord-Zuid Lijn" metro line continues the district's momentum. Also not to be missed on the north bank is the NDSM district, a former shipyard turned up-and-coming area! This is where Straat, the urban art museum, recently opened.
Center. This long strip of land, with no canals running through it, is sandwiched between the central station to the north, the Damrak-Rokin axis to the east, Muntplein to the south and Singel, the first of the major canals, to the west. This district is one of the least interesting in the city, but it does have a few gems that will surprise you. Essentially a shopping district, it has the advantage of centralizing many services, which can be very convenient for newly arrived travelers. However, it would be a pity to linger too long. Don't miss the Kimpton De Witt, a superb hotel in the district, with a very successful decor.
The Red Light District. To the east of the city center, with which it shares most of its borders, lies the famous Red Light District, bordered by Damrak to the west and Kloveniersburgwal to the east. This district, the city's oldest, is criss-crossed by two long canals and countless narrow streets. While the district is just as commercial as its predecessor, the stalls are different. A sort of giant Eroticland, it attracts an underworld population that meets the expectations of mass tourism in search of easy pleasures. To the south of this division lies the student district, one of the city's most authentic, where it would be a shame not to spend a few hours. The Zeedijk, which starts to the left of the station and ends at the Nieuwmarkt, saw the establishment of the first openly gay shops in the 1930s. The street gradually fell into poverty and became the symbol of drugs (especially heroin), with groups of dealers and junkies haunting it. In recent years, the city has been striving to clean up and beautify the Zeedijk. This is the place to go for great Asian restaurants. The Nieuwmarkt square is the heart of the district, with an imposing stone building at its center, the Waag, the former public scales, now home to a very pleasant café-restaurant. Restaurants and cafés abound on this square, and the daily market (regular and organic on Saturdays) gives it a timeless feel. The part of the district around the old church is the most symbolic of the red-light district; this is where sex shops and prostitutes are most numerous, in alleys sometimes so narrow they can be oppressive. Surrounding this spectacle is the old church. Finally, it's hard to believe that Warmoestraat, the gay leather street of the moment, was once a chic street where the poet Vondel owned a hat and stocking store. The street has long since diversified with the opening of new, more mainstream shops and galleries. The scandalous red zone seems to be enjoying a new, wiser and more inspired life, and is regularly threatened with disappearance due to protests about respect for women's lives. In recent years, the municipality has also tried, unsuccessfully, to relocate the district's prostitution to an "erotic center", but no other district is willing to host it.
Large canals
Flowing into the Amstel, the four major canals of the Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht form the backbone of a district that develops around the center and is undeniably the most majestic part of the city. North of the Raadhuisstraat lies the most popular and greenest part of the district, with some of the most beautiful barges docked under converted warehouses. Once you're in the heart of the district, you'll be charmed by the tranquility of bourgeois life, flowing to the rhythm of the water. This is also where you'll find the famous Negen Straatjes district. These are the nine streets perpendicular to the canals: Reestraat, Hartenstraat, Gasthuismolensteeg, Berenstraat, Wolvenstraat, Oude Spiegelstraat, Runstraat, Huidenstraat and Wijde Heisteeg. These charming and (overly?) lively streets are the new center of Amsterdam's chic hipness, with a plethora of good places to eat, drink and shop. Be warned, though, that this area is very popular at weekends, and it can sometimes be difficult to get around... Addresses popular with tik-tokers sometimes make the area inaccessible.
The Jordaan and the West
If the Jordaan is the main district of this area, we also include the real West district of the city as well as, north of the Jordaan, the Westerlijk Eilanden (Bickerseiland, Prinseneiland and Realeneiland), the district of the western docks where the maritime function of the city is found, nowadays, the district is mainly residential, and also the Westerpark with the Westergasfabriek, a former coal factory that has become a lively cultural area, and the fascinating Het Schip museum, a perfect example of the Amsterdam school. The Jordaan owes its origins to the construction of the canal belt in the 17th century and has a purely working-class origin. It was the scene of many uprisings and remained a bad neighborhood for a long time. The Jordaan is bounded by the Prinsengracht to the east, the Lijnbaansgracht to the west, the Brouwersgracht to the north and the Leidsegracht to the south (some purists prefer the Passeerdersgracht as the southern boundary). This popular neighborhood with its rich and troubled history gave birth to the Levenslied, a popular and moving song. The district, known for its water and its tight network of alleys, once had 11 canals. In the 19th century, 6 of them were filled in for reasons of hygiene and especially to create traffic routes. Be careful, the name gracht which normally indicates a canal does not necessarily designate one today (Lindengracht, Palmgracht, Rozengracht and Elandsgracht are examples of filled-in canals). This district is a must-see during a stay in Amsterdam, and as a whole it is a typical tourist attraction of the city. You can stroll along the canals, admiring the charming little stores and interesting galleries, admiring the kitsch or design interiors.
Leidseplein and Vondelpark
Although this district has no precise topographical boundaries, it nonetheless has a soul of its own. As the southern hub of the city, the recently renovated Leidseplein concentrates most of Amsterdam's nightlife, from cinemas and concert halls to trendy and touristy bars. Beyond the Singelgracht (not to be confused with that other canal, the Singel), you'll find the city's major museums and the Vondelpark, where many government offices are located. A little further east, past Boeren Wetering, a residential and shopping district surrounds Sarphatipark.
Nieuwmarkt and Waterlooplein
It's a more modern transition zone between the historic center and the red light district on one side, the Plantage district and the East on the other, and the Grand Canals district to the south.
The Nieuwmarkt square is located at the end of the Zeedijk, the heart of the city's Chinatown. This imposing, photogenic and timeless square is distinguished by the large historic building at its center, De Waag. Built in 1488, this former eastern city gate (originally named Sint Antoniespoort) was later used as a public weighbridge. The building later housed the headquarters of various guilds, and it was here that Rembrandt sketched the outline for his 1632 painting Professor Tulp's Anatomy Lesson. Today, the building houses a popular café-restaurant. Together with the Waterlooplein, the Nieuwmarkt forms an interesting nightlife area, with numerous restaurants, cafés and the opera house, but it gives a truncated, mongrel impression. In this area, also known as the Jewish Quarter, only a few monuments remain that bear witness to its former grandeur. The area was largely disfigured during the controversial construction of the metro in the 1980s. Numerous protests failed to counteract the almost complete destruction of historic houses and the construction of uninspired housing. A few historic gems - Rembrandt's house, the Portuguese synagogue, the Museum of Jewish History, De Waag, the opera house and the superb H'art Museum (formerly Hermitage) Amsterdam - are well worth a visit. It's best to lose yourself in the streets adjacent to the Nieuwmarkt on the east side, notably Koningstraat to reach the Krom Boomsloot, where the calm is remarkable and the photogenic beauty undeniable.
Jodenbreestraat, between Nieuwmarkt and Waterlooplein, is the real gateway to the Jewish Quarter, home to the sumptuous Rembrandthuis. The Waterlooplein is home to the famous daily flea market (except Sundays), which has lost ground in recent years. This square brings together in the same complex the city's opera house, built in the 1980s and hatefully dubbed Stopera because its birth was so unwanted, and the town hall.
Plantage, Artis and the East
Beyond the Portuguese Synagogue and starting from the city's botanical garden begins the Plantage district, once the area where the city's wealthy residents had their gardens. Today, this district still exudes an air of moderate wealth. The streets are wide and tree-lined, and time seems to pass more peacefully here than elsewhere. The Plantage district stretches as far as the sublime Musée des Tropiques, via Artis, the city's zoo. Spend some time here and pass by the Berlage fortress, which, in addition to being an interesting museum and having been designed by Berlage, has the advantage of being on the Henri Polaklaan, one of the city's most beautiful streets.
We have also included the port and eastern docks. This area, which begins to the east of Central Station, is currently undergoing a major transformation, and is set to become a kind of new cultural center for the city. The Nemo Museum was the first to be built here, while the OBA, the National Library and the superb Muziekgebouw aan het IJ continue the trend. The Lloyd Hotel is also located here, on the Oostelijke Handelskade, where the city's port warehouses once stood. These three diverse districts form an undeniably rich mosaic. Although not one of the most popular tourist areas, it is nevertheless one of the most emblematic of the city's current trends, with integration, ecology and architecture being major themes on display. Recent years have seen the evolution of the city's eastern district, particularly around the Oosterpark (just renovated) and the Wibautstraat axis, a not-so-glamorous, not-so-photogenic area that gives Amsterdam an air of Berlin. It's a nightlife area with the Volkshotel, which includes a hotel, several bars (including Doka) and a restaurant (Canvas). In recent years, the area beyond the Tropenmuseum has become increasingly busy around Linnaeustraat, Javastraat, Eerste van Swindenstraat and the whole area around Dappermarkt. Gentrification is taking its toll. Beyond the Eastern Quarter, the IJburg district is a veritable architectural and social laboratory that needs to be discovered urgently.
De Pijp and Rivierenbuurt
The De Pijp district is not one of the most popular with tourists, but it's a sure bet with Amstellodammers. The district came into being during the demographic boom of the late 19th century, when it was decided to build as many houses as possible in as little space as possible, in order to house everyone. As a result of this policy, the district is still known today for its very long, narrow streets. Today, the district is popular with young professionals, and a number of foreign residents have settled here, giving the area a multi-faceted flavor. The largest market in the Netherlands, the Albert Cuyp markt, is held here from Monday to Saturday, and has a very special atmosphere. It's a great place to get lost and experience a different atmosphere, even if the market has lost some of its authenticity in recent years. The whole area is also a haven for the city's artists, whose creations can be seen in many of the signs. The Heineken Museum is also located here. The Pijp has a very high density of cafés and restaurants. This is the district to explore if you want to discover the young and trendy. We've also added the Rivierenbuurt district, which is mainly residential and has the merit of being the architectural statement of Berlage, who designed most of it. This district lends itself to long strolls.
